WOOD-SORREL
Oxalis Acetosella
Wood-Sorrel Family [Oxalidaceae] 
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Wood-Sorrel Family [Oxalidaceae]
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flower |
inner |
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petals |
stem |
toxicity |
| 27th April 2010, Birchen Edge, Baslow, Derbyshire. | Photo: © RWD |
| A flush of Wood Sorrel. It prefers moist grassland in darkish places within deciduous woodlands. |
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| 16th April 2010, Dalegarth Woods, Eskdale Valley, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| A very low plant that likes to grow in damp dark deciduous woods. Here growing on Moss. In subdued light the single flowers atop single stalks droop downwards, whilst the trefoil leaves fold up. |
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| 24th April 2009, canalside woods, Greenfield. | Photo: © RWD |
| Tends to form clumps gathered into larger groupings. |
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| 24th April 2009, canalside woods, Greenfield. | Photo: © RWD |
| The flower stems have a thickened node with a brown band about half-way up, rather like those nodes in long grass stalks. |
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| 16th April 2010, Dalegarth Woods, Eskdale Valley, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| In brighter comnditions the flowers sit upright with both the petals and the trefoil leaves fully opened out. |
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| 16th April 2010, Dalegarth Woods, Eskdale Valley, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
In dimmer light the petals overlap, not fully open. The white petals are veined mauve. The inner part of the petals have yellow markings, whilst the innermost sepal tube part is a light green. The flowers, even when fully open, are always inwardly curved and not flared into a trumpet like those of Lilac Sorrel. |
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| 16th April 2010, Dalegarth Woods, Eskdale Valley, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| Fully open petals still curve inwardly. |
| 1st May 2007, Foulstone Road, Strines, Sheffield. | Photo: © RWD |
| In darker conditions the flowers droop and close up into a goblet shape. The trefoil leaves have a few short hairs covering the upper surface. The lower surface is paler, and sometimes tinged purple. |
| 10th May 2006, Langho, Lancashire. | Photo: © RWD |
| The leaves pivot about the fulcrum and fold aling the mid-rib. |
| 28th April 2007, Greenfield, Greater Manchester. | Photo: © RWD |
| Leaves half-opened. |
| 19th April 2007, Llangollen Canal, Chirk. | Photo: © RWD |
| There are five narrow sepals at the back of the flower. The upper part of the stem is hairier than the lower part. The purple veins penetrate all the way through the thickness of the petals. |
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| 24th April 2009, canalside woods, Greenfield. | Photo: © RWD |
| The inner yellow splodges are reminiscent of Grass Of Parnassus. |
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| 16th April 2010, Dalegarth Woods, Eskdale Valley, Cumbria. | Photo: © RWD |
| A fully-folded leaf resembles a dart with a three-winged flight. Hairs perpendicular to leaf surface. |
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Some similarities to : Other other Sorrels and Grass Of Parnassus.
No relation to : Like all sorrels of species oxalis it contains the poison oxalic acid, a bitter and astringent substance. Oxalic acid is present in long sharp crystals called raphides, which are especially dangerous because they can penetrate cells, exposing the cell to highly acidic Oxalic Acid. The leaves were thus used to give zest to salads, although eating too much is a bad thing. ANY TEXT GOES HERE |
 Oxalis |
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Wood-Sorrel Family [Oxalidaceae]
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